WWA Sightings Blog

New WWA website

2010-12-16T19:41:00.003Z

The WWA have a brand new all-singing and dancing website which incorporates a blog, so from now on that will take over from this sightings blog

The new site is at http://www.watercresslnr.org.uk/ so update your bookmarks. It incorporates all of the posts from this sightings blog and all new posts will be made on that new site.

2010-11-06T19:20:00.003Z

Saturday 6th November.

The usual peace and tranquillity broken by the frenzied squawk of a small group of parakeet!

Eventually seen off by equally vociferous magpie

interlopers!

2010-11-06T18:37:00.006Z

present on site today, some welcome, some not . . .

the pair of little grebes are back, I assume it's the same two.
Here's one of them, they are staying close together compared to previous seasons.

there were about 10 collared doves on the feeder today, nothing else got near while they mobbed the perches.

one of the four ring-necked parakeets seen today, if this lot get a hold in the area, things may never be the same!

Daubentons on the lake

2010-09-17T19:18:00.005+01:00

Last night we went on a 1.5 mile walk, organised by Herts Middlesex Bat Group, to learn more about the bats in the area using bat detectors. Our guide was bat expert Hazel Makepeace. Here is her description of the event:
Managed to have a quick whizz through my recording from last night: on the walk down to the bridge on the reserve I’ve a recording of a Noctule, then the Daubentons (at least 4) from the bridge, which we also saw. (Also at the Sopwell Nunnery site there was a Serotine, and quite a few recordings of Common pipistrelles and Soprano Pipistrelles throughout the walk).
An amazing evening, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a real treat to have heard and seen the daubentons on the lake. I have attached a picture of a Daubenton's bat which I took in August of this year

The recording of a Daubenton is available as a WAV sound file here.

The ‘butterfly bush’, not

2010-09-09T21:17:00.001+01:00

It struck me this year in my weekly monitoring of butterflies that I didn't see more than an occasional butterfly at a time on buddleia (known as the ‘butterfly bush’) whereas last year I saw on at least 3 occasions more than 10 (comma, peacock, painted ladies, red admiral). It’s all been a bit disappointing this year apart from a flurry of gatekeepers and not on buddleia. Has anyone had a different experience with buddleias this year?

A very pleasant pheasant

2010-09-07T18:21:00.002+01:00

What a handsome fellow!

Sunday August 29th

2010-08-29T20:06:00.005+01:00

The swans are back, chasing away allcomers. Even the heron....
.

and the WWA are crowned Water Vole Champions by the Herts and Middx Wildlife Trust......

but just where are they? Answers on a postcard please.

No need to get wet!

2010-08-25T20:04:00.003+01:00

On this rainy day, I have been rewarded with a sighting on the reserve of a little grebe; a kingfisher; & two swans... all from the warmth & dryness of my kitchen. Magic!

2 sights for sore eyes

2010-07-30T11:06:00.008+01:00

Occasionally you see something that delights the ole spirit. In the last week, I saw 2. The first occasion was at midday during the week when I spotted a muntjac (my first) near the heap for grassnakes. Funny dog, I thought and the way it moved its tail was most odd. I know other members have seen one or even 2 before but they had always escaped me. I was amazed it had ventured so far into the reserve and think it's not only foxes which are becoming less fearful. My second impressive sight was a few days later,when I was doing my regular butterfly monitoring. I came across at least 10 gatekeepers, flying in a group but as you can see from the photo doing their own thing. (It was impossible to get all 10 in a photo as I had to get quite closeup for them to be visible.) It was also pretty impossible to count them, as you can probably imagine - worse than counting sheep! That day I also spotted the first water lily I've seen on the little pond and saw a little frog and heard another croaking away happily. The photo below was the best I could do without falling in ......

yet more damselfies

2010-06-24T21:31:00.018+01:00

25.06.2010

while attempting to photograph these little creatures,
I became a little sidetracked by the banded demoiselles.

When perched on a leaf they obviously present a pretty picture.
In flight their wings seemed to act like helicopter rotors.

That was it, I had to capture one in flight.

here's one at rest

in flight, look at the helicopter wings!

here, we have a female banded demoiselle.

another variation, here I think we have a ruddy darter.
My trusty nature book leads me to this identification -see bottom of posting.

this is a mystery bug, anyone got any ideas?
There are so many minute creatures whizzing about and they all seen to be tiny,
fast and hard to capture, with a camera, a net may be more successful.

here's another, sitting on a lily pad -not found it in my book, yet.

my trusty book by the way: the Collins Complete British Wildlife by Paul Sterry.
It's really useful as identifying photographs convey exactly what one sees in the field.
I found one cheap in a garden centre last year. Have a look for it.

Butterfly beds

2010-06-20T19:23:00.005+01:00

The butterfly beds are beginning to look good but where are the butterflies?
This summer I've seen orange tipped, small white, comma, peacock, speckled wood and common blue - but only a few each time I visit the site and none today

more damselfies

2010-06-19T10:07:00.003+01:00

17.06.2010

by coincidence I was on site Thursday morning and also happened upon the damselflies

the rather disappointingly named common blue damselfy.
Most of the time, I have no idea what I've seen until I get home,
view the photograph, then refer to my ever-to-hand nature guide book.

a blue-tailed damselfy, according to the book.

look closely, this great tit has got his prized sunflower heart.

in a conventional pose, the ever wonderful bullfinch.

the hovering bullfinch!
I was lucky with this one, the colour's a bit off, but I enjoyed the moment.

Banded demoiselle damselfly

2010-06-17T23:16:00.005+01:00

The male Banded demoiselle is very striking and familiar, with its electric blue body and dark patches on each wing that catch the eye as it flutters. The female is probably less well known. Here's one demonstrating the full emerald green bodywork and wings. There were loads of males and females as well as other species fluttering around the site in the sun today, particularly by the low bridge by the spit.

I didn't get such a good photo of the male, but I include it for completeness. I suppose it's kind of arty!

heron stalking ....

2010-05-28T16:08:00.002+01:00

heron stalking .......metal duck?

careful what you touch

2010-05-22T17:36:00.011+01:00

21.05.2010
It's warming up at the Mere

after sitting here for a while, squirrel number one hopped across the bridge using the handrail as it's own little highway.
Their agility has to be admired.

later, squirrel number two turned up and had a good old sniff about.
It then scurried across the bridge, in the wake of number one, sniffing everywhere it went, .
I know it's not exactly news, but we are surrounded by animal scents -we may well be mistaken for a squirrel by another as we probably have their scent on us . . . if we use the handrail.
I may well wear latex gloves next time I cross the bridge!

a snatch of yet another furious fight between a coot and anything else that happens to be passing.
Here it's the moorhen couple (see previous blog entry) who eventually saw off the intruder.
If there was a passing rhino, I think the coot would have a go. . .

one of the ubiquitous collared doves leaving the feeder.
I include this as a fleeting moment, normally the wing display would be lost in a flurry of feathers.

still four in number and doing well, the mallard chicks.
And elder brother in the background.

yes, the slime is back.
Looking at last year's blog, it was present 01.07.09.
The delightful, fragrant, blue green algal bloom.
It'll cover the Mere in a weekend I bet.
It's warming up at the Mere

noise

2010-05-17T10:31:00.014+01:00

15.05.2010
A few unexpected noises and interruptions today.

there was a huge amount of noise upon my arrival, it turned out to be a great spotted woodpecker pecking an owl box.
A poor shot, but it shows the guilty party.
The box served to amplify his hammering -in a big way, if he wanted to make an impression, he succeeded.

here's a bit of a close up of the damaged box.

these mallard chicks now number four, there were ten.
Also with them is a presumed elder brother/ mongrel from an earlier brood. He is mentioned in Sam's previous blog entry,
also, he's the duckling featured in my post of 22.04.2010
I later saw the proper father return, so our mongrel must be the same hanger-on.

I think we may be parents soon!
There is already another successful pair of moorhens on the reserve.

to illustrate the interruption problems the reserve faces from careless people outside the site, this image does the job.
Here is a snap of a hound galloping along the Ver, it ran all the way past the inlet right up to the railway bridge.
There was nothing to stop him getting into the reserve and doing untold damage.
I find it incredibly irresponsible for owners to let their dogs loose like this.

Heron

2010-05-16T10:47:00.002+01:00

A lovely picture sent in by one of our members.

Mongrel Mallard

2010-05-10T23:00:00.004+01:00

The title is Sheila's description of the odd looking duck masquerading as the father of a brood of ten ducklings on the mere. It's probably a juvenile from a previous brood that's sticking with its mother still, so it's not the father (which is what I first assumed) though the father is almost definitely an odd looking duck itself, that has passed on its genes to this one.

It's interesting to note that one of the ten ducklings is similarly coloured and stands out from the rest - it is all dark bar a white breast.

sightings board April

2010-04-30T16:04:00.001+01:00

Let sleeping snakes lie..

2010-04-28T19:01:00.004+01:00

I nearly stepped on this grass snake that was
basking in the morning sunshine on the entrance

drive. A group of ramblers arrived at the same

and were thrilled to share this sighting with us.

This must now be the most photographed snake

in England! It eventually became camera shy

and slithered slowly away into the adjacent grass.

Perhaps it had only just come out of hibernation

as this occurs in March/April?

sunday 25th april

2010-04-25T22:57:00.003+01:00

after a long absence, I've remembered the password and can include two pics from today's site visit.

First Chaenomeles, not native plant, but legacy of many years of cultivation.

Second is Speckled Wood butterfly taking brief rest in welcome sunlight......

foliage troubles

2010-04-23T15:47:00.012+01:00

22.04.2010
my first visit for a while, too long really.
I was plagued by foliage getting in the way of my "perfect" shots, also unwanted branches.
We could also blame the creatures themselves, they don't want to be pestered do they?

here a wren tries to hide under a leaf -and nearly succeeds.

it's time to say "aah" as the ever present blue tits pose for us.

among the leaves, again.

the fritillaries on show again, though with some frost damage.
I managed to hide those to the rear of this shot, they appear lighter.

a peacock butterfly suns itself on a log heap, after all the cold, it's nice to see some beneficial sunshine.
Also seen, orange tip and speckled wood.

I saw a male mallard chase away a duckling earlier, the female seems to tolerate him still.
He's a bit of a mongrel, a bit dull. He may grow up to be a she, we'll see.
Anyway he has found the surplus seeds below the feeders, so he should survive OK.

sightings board March

2010-03-28T16:00:00.001+01:00

Muntjac crossing

2010-02-28T19:16:00.002Z

This Muntjac deer slowly ambled across the bridge over the Mere whilst working party attendees sipped hot drinks in the bird hide. It then slowly made its way down the path on the other side, stopping to nibble at the grass. This is by far the best sighting I've had of a Muntjac as they're usually running away into the bushes.

Walk round reserve

2010-02-11T21:42:00.011Z

Sightings board for January

Bullrushes standing out more in winter

Tree as sculpture

the cold snap is over

2010-02-02T15:52:00.023Z

so I ventured out onto the reserve for the first time in a month or so.
I found it still buzzing with activity.

01.02.2010

Siskin take niger seeds, let's hope the goldfinches don't object.
No luck catching them in a natural setting this time,
still, got them last year so can't complain. . .see blog for 17.01.2009.

Siskin like sunflower hearts too, -it pays to be versatile.

a little run of little grebe pictures:

Not the clearest image, but how many times have you seen a little grebe
OUT of the water? Me? Never.

a blackbird, waiting for me to leave the feeder area.

Wherever you are on the site, someone is watching you.

The Mere's secretive resident pheasant, also watching warily.

Snowdrops never cease to amaze do they?
The snow clears and there they are!

The last of this winter's redwing flock, it felt as if I had scared them all away,
but they were probably on their way North again soon anyway . . .

Most of the red in redwing name stems from the red on the bird's body.
This redwing shows more of it's plumage, just for the camera.

In the midst of winter

2010-01-30T13:58:00.004Z

2010-01-22T20:13:00.004Z

David, who is recording numbers of species for the Reserve, remarked that 'December was the most species in a month so far for him. January could be better still'.
On 18th January he commented:
'Yesterday morning was brilliant for Ducks: 9 gadwall and 3 shovellers ...I'm not so sure they will have enjoyed the Wassail though!'

Wassailing birds

2010-01-17T22:16:00.003Z

A brilliantly attended wassail today on the reserve, not just by people but also by birds.

This is actually an older picture from a few weeks ago of Siskin high in the stand of Alder trees where they feed on the seeds. Today I saw Siskin on the feeders.

Two pairs of Gadwall stayed happily towards the far end of the mere. I understand they've been a relatively constant presence recently. The female looks a lot like a Mallard female, but the biggest clue is the lack of a green flash on the wing.

Best of all was a Little Egret that swooped in briefly, stalking the shallows of the mere for just a minute before heading off again. This seems to be a wassail tradition!

Cold weather visitors

2010-01-14T13:43:00.005Z

The continuing cold weather is making the Reserve more interesting for bird sightings every day. On Wednesday we had:
4 pairs of Gadwalls
I Tufted Duck - female
3 Shovelers -2 males and 1 female
1 pair of Teal
Bullfinches
Large flocks of Siskin
2 Red Kite flew over
Pair of Brambling

2010-01-08T17:40:00.005Z

What a lovely wintry scene!

The cold weather is bringing in some unusual sightings of dabbling and diving ducks.

Two 'firsts' for the Reserve:

Pochard (male)

Tufted duck (female)

And some occasional visitors:

Shoveler (female)

Two pairs of Gadwall

I managed to get some distant shots with my digital camera - but they were terrible.

Otherwise, an excellent day.

Siskins

2009-12-30T11:01:00.002Z

On Boxing Day I had a much better view of the flock of 'finch-like' birds (around 50 birds) and the majority seemed to be Siskins- no Redpolls identified that day.

A pair of teals are spending a fair amount of time on the reserve- I have mainly seen them on the smaller water areas away from the mere. They soon fly away once they know you are there.

On the 23rd of Decemeber whilst the snow was still around I had a couple of visits to my garden (near to the reserve) of a single Brambling. It was amongst a small group of chaffinches. So it is worth looking very closely at Chaffinches on the reserve at the moment.

Winter birds

2009-12-23T13:51:00.002Z

Over the last two or three weeks I have noticed fairly large (20-50) close-knit flocks of small 'finch-like' birds moving from place to place rapidly on the reserve. Last weekend I was able to get a reasonable view of them. At least some of them (mabe all) are redpolls. Streaky body, black bib and always on the move. Some seem to keep the red forehead at this time of year too- but I wasn't close enough to tell. My guide book says that some winters we get 'invasions' of faily large numbers of redpols.

Last weekend was the first time I have seen the cock pheasant under the feeder near the hide. Maybe it is because some of the cover has died back or maybe it is desperation with all the snow hanging around. Other birds that seem to be using 'local facilities' include blue tits taking refuge in holes in the mortar in the house nearest the reserve gate. I have seen collared doves seemingly trying (and failing) to land in the middle of the mere to get a drink whilst the snow has been around. I have seen as many as 12 collared doves at a time recently clustering on the bird feeder near to the hide. I'm sure they help to empty it quickly.

Earlier in the week I saw three male bullfinches together on the feeder- it was nice to see variations in the redness/pinkness between the individuals- maybe age related?

I'm hoping to have regular visits to the hide over the Christmas break.

Distant views

2009-12-06T18:01:00.009Z

of birds from distant places

A flock of 20 or so redwing popped up today.
They come from Scandinavia to the U.K. every year, often with fieldfare present.
Redwing are timid, fieldfare can be more tolerant if you are careful in your approach.

A slightly improved, but still distant view of a redwing.

Another distant view -this blackcap should have gone to Europe somewhere, but has remained here, so far.
Several birders have, unusually for the time of year, seen blackcaps at garden feeders.
Usually, blackcap sightings are a sign of spring.

Still here, the two little grebes, catching fish with every dive.

At last the leaves are falling

2009-11-25T17:21:00.011Z

and we can see all the things we missed in summertime.
Those things that sit on branches at least.
I prefer winter to summer for clear, sunny days like these.

what you get when you point the lens skyward.
A blue tit, busy with a seed by the look of it.
In the scented sanctuary area by the river.

one of a busy group of long tailed tits, same place as the blue tits.
Blue tits & long tailed tits are often found together, on a good day, goldcrest may be present too.
Keep looking.

A fleeting view of the sparrowhawk, hunting hard all the time I was on site.
One of a pair seen at distance.

Returning (we assume) for another winter, the little grebes.

There is a third little grebe present. he may be one this year's chicks.
He seems to stay on his own.

rubber duck?

2009-10-09T15:47:00.012+01:00

08.10.2009
a sunny but cold day, the light barely falling on half the reserve by midday.

this male mallard had me looking twice: he's become entwined with a postman's elastic band.
As far as I could see, he was still feeding ok and untroubled by his new headgear.
Hopefully, it will wear away safely in a few days.

white bryony is the creeper, I think. It's durable and still going strong.
We are nearly in mid October and the plant is still flowering and attracting bees.

a dunnock attempts to sneak past me, serving to illustrate the furtive nature of these birds.

still present are young moorhen.
They have bred well this year and are still pestering the parent birds for food.

another young moorhen catches the warming sun on the bridge.

still the star of the show, a male kingfisher.
Anyone seen a female recently?

Sightings for August

2009-09-17T19:50:00.001+01:00

Here are David's sightings for August. 'I have recorded how many times I've seen each species. e.g. 5/5 means I saw a particular species five times in each of my five visits. In brackets I put down the maximum number of a species I saw together at once'.

Little grebe 5/5 (2+3j)
Grey heron 2/5 (1)
Mute swan 3/5 (1)
Canada goose 2/5 (12 o/h)
Mallard 5/5 (6)
Gadwall 1/5 (1)
Buzzard 1/5 (1)
Sparrow hawk 1/5 (1f)
Hobby 1/5 (o/h)
Moorhen 5/5 (3)
Coot 5/5 (5)
Gull 2/5 (1)
Stock dove 4/5 (2)
Woodpigeon 5/5 (3)
Collared dove 4/5 (2)
Kingfisher 2/5 (1)
Green woodpecker 2/5 (h)
Woodpecker 1/5 (1)
Wren 5/5 (1)
Dunnock 3/5 (2)
Robin 5/5 (2)
Song thrush 3/5 (1)
Blackbird 4/5 (3)
Blackcap 2/5 (1)
Chiffchaff 1/5 (3)
Great tit 5/5 (3)
Blue tit 5/5 (2)
Magpie 5/5 (3)
Jackdaw 5/5 (~50)
Carrion crow 3/5 (1 h)
Starling 2/5 (8)
House sparrow 2/5 (4)
Chaffinch 4/5 (4)
Greenfinch 3/5 (2)
Bullfinch 3/5 (1+2j)

Month total species 35

2009-08-23T21:54:00.004+01:00

Here are David's sightings for July. 'I have recorded how many times I've seen each species. So in July e.g. 6/6 means I saw a particular species six times in each of my six visits. In brackets I put down the maximum number of a species I saw together at once'.

Little grebe 1/6 (1)
Grey heron 1/6 (1)
Mute swan 2/6 (8)
Canada goose 1/6 (10) o/h
Mallard 2/6 (8)
Gadwall 1/6 (1)
Tufted duck 2/6 (1)
Kestrel 1/6 (1)
Moorhen 6/6 (6)
Coot 6/6 (7)
Black headed gull 2/6 (1)
Common tern 1/6 (1) Ang. Cl.
Stock dove 5/6 (2)
Wood pigeon 6/6 (3)
Collared dove 5/6 (4)
Swift 3/6 (7)
Kingfisher 4/6 (2)
Green woodpecker 1/6 (1)
Great spotted Woodpecker 3/6 (1)
Wren 2/6 (1) h
Dunnock 5/6 (2)
Robin 6/6 (4)
Song thrush 1/6 (1) h
Blackbird 6/6 (3)
Chiffchaff 2/6 (1)
Great tit 6/6 (2)
Blue tit 5/6 (2)
Magpie 4/6 (3)
Jay 5/6 (3)
Jackdaw 6/6 (~100)
Carrion crow 1/6 (1) h
Starling 3/6 (3)
House sparrow 5/6 (5)
Chaffinch 5/6 (4)
Greenfinch 5/6 (5)
Bullfinch 3/6 (2)

Month total species 36

'There was a brief visit of a swan family for a while (6 big chicks). Now (August) there is a nice family of Little Grebes (5 chicks)- hope they survive. Also a Mallard with 2 chicks. Kingfishers seem to be around regularly again.'

a hot day

2009-08-22T14:59:00.009+01:00

19.08.09.
up to 30 degrees during the afternoon.

up above the Mere, on the railway embankment, a young robin takes a breather.

a blackbird had similar problems last week in the heat, same place.

a young heron was on the site, poking about in the bog area, catching tiny fish and worrying the moorhen parents.

to my surprise, the heron stopped to take a prolonged drink, before continuing his hunt.

one of precious few painted lady butterflies about, despite reports of many nationwide.
On the ground of the butterfly meadow, despite all of the attractive flowers above.

some sightings

2009-08-06T14:59:00.011+01:00

05.08.09
a few snippets from today

the adult little grebes seem to be feeding only some of their young.
Those that can dive and feed are chased away, much like a coot would do.

There's regular fish for those still in favour

a fleeting attack over the Mere from the sparrowhawk.
I was watching the grebes, when everything on the water scuttled away in a panic.
Then along came the predator. He failed to catch anything this time.
Record shot.

a distant view of a red kite. Others have been seen near Verulamium Park,
Gorhambury residents we believe. Record shot.

here, I have broken my own rule for photos. on the Mere.
I only post what I capture on site, but to do justice to red kites
have included a 'real' image taken by myself in Wales,
just to show what is circling above our heads!
Always look up when you are meandering about, don't tread on anything nasty. . . .

two shots of a gatekeeper butterfly

what I first took to be a muntjac in the Pyghtle area.
My reference book informs me it is a female roe deer, which does not have antlers.
Both sexes of muntjac are horned to a greater or lesser extent.

a little grebe success

2009-07-31T10:53:00.011+01:00

30.07.09

just popped in as I was passing.
To my surprise spotted two adult little grebes, plus their 5 chicks.
(my best estimate)
There have been adults here for the last two winters, first a solitary grebe, last winter two grebes, now chicks.

Also present, 2 mute swan, plus 6 cygnets.

a chiffchaff, fleetingly captured amongst the leaves, hence the green hue to the picture.

2009-07-19T19:08:00.003+01:00

Here are David's sightings for June.

'I have recorded how many times I've seen each species. So in e.g. 6/6 means I saw a particular species six times in each of my six visits. In brackets I put down the maximum number of a species I saw together at once'.

Little grebe 4/4 (2)
Grey heron 2/4 (2)
Mallard 3/4
Moorhen 3/4 (2)
Coot 4/4 (9)
Stock dove 1/4 (1)
Woodpigeon 4/4 (4)
Collared dove 4/4 (2)
Swift 3/4 (6)
Kingfisher 1/4 (1)
Great spotted Woodpecker 4/4 (2)
Wren 3/4 (1)
Dunnock 1/4 (1)
Robin 3/4 (2)
Song thrush 3/4 (1)
Blackbird 4/4(3)
Chiffchaff 4/4 (1)
Great tit 4/4 (2)
Blue tit 4/4(3)
Magpie 3/4 (12)
Jay 1/4/(1)
Jackdaw 4/4 (13)
Starling 4/4 (16)
House sparrow 4/4 (5)
Chaffinch 4/4 (3)
Goldfinch 3/4 (2)
Greenfinch 3/4 (5)
Bullfinch 3/4 (2)
Month total species
28

He saw a female Tufted Duck on the mere on Saturday 18th July morning (about 8 am). Though not a rarity, he had not seen one down here before

commas

2009-07-04T20:03:00.015+01:00

lovely butterflies these.

I really like the fact that commas are so well adapted for camouflage,
yet are such a dazzling insect when they spread their wings.

01.07.09 - 02.07.09

24.06.09
a speckled wood.

a young dunnock seems overcome by the heat.
I know how it feels.
A similar pose that adopted when "anting", but aimed at getting ventilation.

this coot, though a parent to 8 chicks, still collecting nest material.

blue green algal blooms

2009-07-04T13:10:00.006+01:00

01.07.09

sounds pleasant, but is a foul smelling algae.

We seem to get it every year, but this year it is turning nasty.
What else can you expect when temperatures reach the thirties?

I was prompted to include this as there was a BBC report on it's dangers just today.
Basically, don't go near it.
Jack and myself were wondering if some sort of analysis could be done, good old BBC.

It starts off green, then turns black and nasty (and smelly), the flies love it.
Also there seem to be purple bits too.

catching up a bit

2009-06-26T20:57:00.021+01:00

it's been a while since I posted anything, so,
spread across the last month or so, here goes.
Newest stuff first, backwards in time as we move down the page.

Summer, while popular with most people, does not afford much in the way of photo opportunities bird-wise -too many leaves!

Hence some of the other creatures included here.

25.06.09
a nuthatch popped up for just a brief appearance in front of the hide.
So brief, that this was my one and only shot, as he left.

25.06.09
a heron flies in for a bit of easy poaching, moorhen and coot chicks in mind, no doubt.
Instead however, he flew into a territorial fight with another heron.
Lots of squawking ensued.
Hard to photograph in the trees.

25.06.09
the ever cheerful coot.
Just after a huge territorial bust up with a moorhen, he/ she started gathering nest material.
Odd, considering the 2 adults on the Mere have 8 chicks of all sizes at present.
Here is a youngster helping mum, or dad.

just managed to catch this shy great spotted woodpecker.
Hard to get a clear shot amongst the ropes and pulleys.
Think it's a female.

24.06.09
a broad bodied chaser.
Handsome isn't she?
I think its a female, males are blue according to the reference books.

24.06.09
one of those tiny blue things we see zooming about all of the time,
a blue tailed damselfly.
Still for just one moment here.

02.06.09
on a day devoid of birds, I found this fellow.
Call him Clint, as I don't know his name!

18.05.09
a nice view of a dunnock's tongue.

18.05.09
lovely colours on a male gadwall, he didn't stay long I gather.

18.05.09
a large white butterfly, nice background, cannot remember exactly what it was.

18.05.09
a lovely orange tip, they rarely settle it seems to me.
Try to photograph one and you'll see!
If only the sun was out along with the insects

18.05.09

Small Things

2009-06-10T21:01:00.004+01:00

The butterfly garden is looking absolutely fantastic right now - a riot of colour and variety, smothered in bees and butterflies - exactly how it should be.

A close up of a Green-veined White butterfly feeding. You can see a lot of detail in there (click the photo for a bigger close up), including the mottled grey pattern of the eye. Apparently this is a very common butterfly, but looking particularly interesting here on the underside of its wings.

This is a Small Magpie moth resting on the underside of a nettle leaf in the orchard. It's only small, but very pretty, and seems to prefer landing upside down - at least for all the while that I was chasing it.

Finally an unusual visitor in the new pond - a leech, happily nosing around in the shallows. Quite a big one too - a few inches long. Credit to Penny for spotting it!

Batty Sounds: Daubenton's?

2009-05-31T18:31:00.004+01:00

Our esteemed chairman Steve recorded some bat sounds a few months back. His analysis suggests that the sound in question is a Daubenton's bat (on which, more information here). The sound he recorded is available as an MP3 file here so have a listen. Of course the sound would ordinarily be too high pitched for human ears but the special bat detector brings it within our audible range.

sightings May

2009-05-31T14:04:00.000+01:00

May Bank Holiday

2009-05-09T10:11:00.004+01:00

Sheila tells me this is the first (only?) Gadwall seen at the reserve for 18 years! This is a male, which unfortunately flew off shortly afterwards.

There were five Moorhen chicks out and about. They look pretty ugly if you ask me - little balls of black fuzz with a bald head and stubby bald winglets.

This Magpie was admiring his reflection in the new pond.

And finally a snail - Arianta arbustorum if my 'looking things up on the web' skills are not mistaken!

Board Bluebells Chicks

2009-04-30T20:45:00.012+01:00

The sightings board is revealing lots of Spring activity

Lots of bluebells and whitebells (ok, I made it up) in the shady place

moorhen chicks - (actually you don't seem to pronounce it correctly - I pronounce it 'myrrhhen)' . The mother was discretely furtive with them, generally managing just to obscure them from my view (hence bad photo)

Greenery

2009-04-09T08:51:00.001+01:00

Pond digging

2009-03-29T18:59:00.003+01:00

Work started at today's working party on the new pond on site and it seems that quite a bit of the local wildlife has already moved in. Several newts were spotted in the new pond, in addition to the pond skater seen on the surface. As we were digging and using the soil to level footpaths and fill in other holes this small frog was also found in the grass.

I know they say that nature will often be quick to colonise new ponds, but I didn't think it would be this quick!

Outside sightings board

2009-03-10T20:35:00.002Z

Sightings board

2009-02-20T11:25:00.002Z

There is now a 'sightings' board in
the bird hide so interested parties
can see what wildlife has been
around in recent weeks. Any
comments will then be recorded
into a sightings book. Sorry it is
such a poor photo - the flash
kept going off as it is so dark
in the bird hide! There is also
a small 'sightings' blackboard
on the outside of the hide which
doubles up as an announcement
board for events and working
party details.

Spring has Sprung

2009-02-16T16:56:00.005Z

A balmy day at the reserve today. I can almost feel the plant life spring back up. The kingfisher was extremely accommodating - perching in the sun close to me. This is a male as the whole bill is black. A female would have a red lower bill (though juvenile males have some red on the lower bill).

hardy aren't they?

2009-02-15T20:36:00.011Z

snowdrops that is.

27.01.09
here is a picture taken before the recent snowfall.

I looked at the spot where the snowdrops stood during the snow, and all there was to see, was . .
. . snow, indeed, they must have been squashed by the weight.

12.02.09
Once the snow had cleared, what do we see?
You guessed it, snowdrops, seemingly little troubled by the conditions.

12.02.09
caught the song thrush again, so nice to see, and hear of course.

12.02.09
recently blue tits have been showing signs of interest in the nestboxes, I backed away from them to avoid interrupting them at this critical point in their year.

12.02.09
showing well, a blackbird

12.02.09
a robin, always charming, picking up seeds under the feeders.

whiteboard

2009-02-12T13:45:00.000Z

Colourful Characters

2009-02-08T19:19:00.006Z

The Redwing that Keith saw are apparently sticking around at least a little bit. Here's one that was rummaging around in the leaf litter and the snow at the back of the reserve.

This is the first time I've seen signs of the more colourful summer plumage on the little grebe. Maybe it's just growing up, and it represents more of a transition from juvenile to adult, as it's a long way from summer out there!

Finally, if you ever wondered what a sparrow's tongue looks like, wonder no more.

rail at last!

2009-02-07T22:17:00.012Z

07.02.09
after many months of searching, several sightings and much frustation, we finally have pics of the elusive water rail.

Water rail have been seen for at least the last 3 winters,
by almost everybody but me, it seemed.
I only saw him for the first time late last year.

Today, there were many encounters, here are the results.
The best ones are those that got away -and I did miss some great chances. All due to the secretive nature of this bird.

If you ever see one, you may notice the rail barely out of cover for more than a few seconds, then it's gone again,
-perhaps best illustrated by the last picture in the series.

I also have a suspicion that two rail are present on site,
that make take quite a while to confirm.

they're back

2009-02-04T22:08:00.030Z

04.02.09
it's the reed buntings, who were first spotted last year, 23.03.08
-today I saw two, but photographed one.
They may have been here all year long,
-but if they were, I didn't see them . . .

04.02.09
there was a "fly over", of perhaps 10 redwing.
Elusive, noisy, shy and fast, they remain a difficult bird to "capture".
This one was 100 yards along the railway track from the Mere, after the fly over,
-so it's one for this site as far as I'm concerned.

27.01.09
always worth including, the ever obliging blue tit

27.01.09
the lovely, elusive, ever-on-the-move, long tailed tit

27.01.09
two shots of what currently, seems to be our resident song thrush,
-on this misty morning, pointed out to me by Jack.

17.12.08
a young mute swan

07.12.08
mallard may be common, but they always look full of character,
-this female looks a bit threatening.

07.12.08

mallard, included here purely because I quite like the pic;
-they had their eye on me and soon made off.

07.12.08
little grebe, snapped way after the pair had been spotted.
Looking eerily atmospheric in the mist.

long overdue

2009-01-17T20:35:00.022Z

I know, but sometimes these things get overlooked,
therefore, these photos have been building up for a while.

a poor summer followed a promising spring, when we had the reed buntings, for example.

here's some pics from that summer.

here we go, at the risk of confusing everyone, and myself . .

10.07.08
a jay, always hard to snap as they're so timid

10.07.08
a great spotted woodpecker, a nice visitor to the "new" feeders in the Pyghtle area

25.07.08
two young robins, with interesting variations on the well known adult plumage.

01.08.08
a southern hawker dragonfly.

08.08.08
a young bullfinch, with it's unusual colouring.
next up, the same day . . . . .

the final colour scheme

10.09.08
a grass snake, watched, if memory serves, by a young moorhen.

10.09.08
the first day the little grebe turned up this year.
later on the more bold second bird arrived.
here's the timid one.

17.12.08
two kingfisher photos from December, only in the late afternoon, for about an hour, did the sun reach the back of the Mere. . . . kingfisher time!

19.12.08
Alder seeds are popular with goldfinches, siskin usually go for these, but this year goldfinch seem more prevalent.

17.01.09
one of relatively few siskin about as compared to other years.
pictured amongst the Alder seeds.

Much Excitement

2009-01-11T16:06:00.007Z

A gloomy day on the reserve, especially at 3:30pm, but I stumbled upon one of the kingfishers on a branch behind the fallen elder on the inlet stream, just a foot or so above the water. I shot these from the farthest bridge.

I also then saw the water rail plodding along below him and then scooting off into the reeds. I didn't manage to get a photo of it, but it was easily my best view of him personally.

There's still a pair of teal on the mere, but they flew off each time I walked anywhere near their preferred resting spot (at the base of the spit). This was about the best shot I managed to get. A 'record shot' only I'm afraid: 400mm, ISO 3200, 1/30s, through some branches - for the photographers to appreciate why it's so poor!

Wetland birds

2009-01-10T12:42:00.008Z

On a walk around the Reserve in the first week of January, it was lovely to see a pair of Shoveler ducks and two male Teal. The Teal were so timid that they flew away at the slightest disturbance but the Shoveler were slightly less scared. There have never been recorded sightings of these two species on the Reserve before so it is a real treat to see them. We managed to get this poor photo of the male Shoveler. It is possible that these birds arrived here as many other lakes were frozen over and it has driven them to find open water. Strangely, the WWA lake never seems to freeze over when other lakes do. There has also been a Water Rail, a pair of Little Grebes and a Kingfisher about this week.

list of birds seen this week

2009-01-07T11:30:00.003Z

Here is Sheila's list:
water rail, kingfisher, teals (2 male), shovelers (m + f), little grebes (2), coot, moorhen, mallard, heron, black-headed gull, bullfinch, greenfinch, goldfinch, chaffinch, jay, wren, siskin, goldcrest, blue tits, great tits, long tailed tits, magpie, robin, blackbird, song thrush, pigeons, collared dove, dunnock, house sparrow, cormorants (flying over), starling and redwing.

Kingfisher Dive

2009-01-02T19:46:00.006Z

The kingfishers have been active over the last month. I managed to get a sequence of one of them diving, albeit unsuccessfully. This was from a very low hanging branch way up at the far end of the mere, beyond the fallen tree, taken from the bridge - so a long shot! Click the image for the larger version else you won't see any of the (limited) detail.

One Less Fish in the Mere

2008-12-02T15:09:00.004Z

This Little Grebe catches a lot of fish. In fact the only fish I see these days are the ones in his beak, or that of a Kingfisher.

Click image for larger version.

Robins Posing

2008-12-02T15:04:00.003Z

It must be heading towards Xmas. All they need is a bit of snow...

Evidence

2008-11-29T18:08:00.005Z

Here's that pair of little Grebes (click for bigger as always), swimming across the mere. For once they're not swimming directly away from my camera lens!

Also, here's one of the pair of kingfishers. Not a good photo (far away and very dim light) but it's nice to see them nonetheless - and I have every time I've been down recently.

woodpecker behaviour

2008-11-23T13:30:00.005Z

Popped down to the reserve lunchtime today during a lovely sunny spell. Went to my post on the far bridge and waited. Sure enough after 10 minutes, the great spotted woodpecker turned up. I've decided that I particularly like the beautiful brightly coloured birds - last year I was interested in the kingfisher but haven't seen it for months. Anyhow the woodpecker perched for a few seconds on a higher flat branch, possibly assessing the dangers around it (can an 'it' assess?) and then flew directly to the spot where I'd seen the small hole before. There was a flurry of what seemed like woodshavings and then it seemed to be going backwards and forwards - whether marking territory or squeezing backwards into its small hole. It then disappeared from sight. Sometime I'll have to go into the parkland on the other side to get a better view but it's a bit of a bother. In the next 10 minutes there were a number of visitors to this specific bit of the dead tree tops - it seems quite a social area, though I don't know how welcome they all are at the meeting - wood pigeons, blackbirds? eating what looked like scrambled egg but I doubt this and magpies. Funny how I perceive birds differently: I really like the "beautiful" ones; I dislike the ugly black ones and I'm just about to appreciate a chicken - for lunch!

Two Little Grebes

2008-11-17T22:48:00.006Z

There's usually one Little Grebe on the mere, but at the weekend, I saw a pair for the first time. They're small and shy and I didn't have a sufficiently big lens to get a picture of them, but look out for the small brown things diving in the Mere and coming up with fish.

'Tis Great

2008-11-16T16:46:00.003Z

I saw the woodpecker straightaway again today - as I know where to find it and I've got the 'jizz' of what it looks like. What I saw was a female great spotted woodpecker (red undertail feathers) according to my bird book. It had no red cap or red nape of head. It was virtually at the top of the dead tree trunk and I noticed that it was poking its beak continuously into the same hole. It was hard to see as it was round at the side a bit, so I think I'll try and look for it some time from the other side of the river. In fact, I've discovered I can see these trees from my flat with my stronger binoculars!

great or lesser?

2008-11-09T21:30:00.004Z

I saw a woodpecker today in their usual spot - the tall dead trees at the far end of the site. I have heard a very loud knocking made by a woodpecker in the past but had never seen one till today...This was definitely a woodpecker but was pretty small - smaller than the collared doves in the tree. Looking back on the blog, it is a great spotted woodpecker that has been sighted, as far as I can see - but I would have guessed this was a lesser spotted, from its size

Canoe believe it!

2008-09-23T19:58:00.002+01:00

Actually it's a kyak, which was submerged against the opposite bank of the Ver at the back of the reserve.

Jack fished it out and found these American signal crayfish in residence. The base of that bucket is 18cm across so they're pretty impressive at full stretch!

Swan

2008-09-20T22:28:00.005+01:00

I snapped this swan when it was alone on the mere. A couple of days later there are four fairly mature signets too. And a little grebe. And a heron. And a kingfisher. All at once!

WWA Summer Event 2008

2008-09-08T21:53:00.004+01:00

A little late to be posting about this, because it was 28th June that the Summer Event was held, but it was a great day and worth reporting. Better late than never.

Pond dipping was a big attraction with kids and adults alike.

I must say I assumed there wasn't much life at all in the water, since I never see anything other than fish. How wrong I was! We found the following in one small spot:

Tadpoles - quite big ones, some with legs

Small diving beetles - pure black - max 1cm long

Water louse

Caddisfly larvae - wrapped in debris, with just head and legs poking out of the front

Some sort of nymphs

Three spined sticklebacks, including pregnant males and very showy red bellied males

A baby newt - found the next day during clear up

Small shrimps

After all that fun we had a BBQ and the adults played whack a rat with even more vigour than the children.

sunday 27th

2008-07-27T18:52:00.011+01:00

bee...

.............. hoverfly

sundry flies

Gatekeeper....

Comma....

Large white

The developing butterfly area is attracting......... butterflies!

Meanwhile a new colour has appeared in the mere

this looks more like a fuzzy satellite image.

Was actually taken 1.5m above water level!

nuthatch

2008-07-03T16:58:00.010+01:00

01.07.08

spotted at the Pyghtle feeders, a new visitor,
a young nuthatch, seen the previous day as well.
-have yet to catch sight of the adult birds at the Mere,
so keep looking!

in an attempt to confuse me,
trying to look and act like a nuthatch,
a great tit . . isn't birding wonderful?

Teenage mutant ninja turtle!

2008-07-02T17:17:00.010+01:00

Something stirred deep in the swamplands of the WWA - an intruder all the way from the Mississippi (or rather the local pet shop!)........a female Red-eared Terrapin which had grown to a length of almost 10 inches - now seen captured in one of our yellow trugs. She is safely in the hands of the RSPCA officer (literally) after probably having been released into the Reserve by an irresponsible pet owner. These terrapins were all the rage as pets in the 1990s when the T.V. series 'Teenage mutant ninja turtles' was broadcast . But when people bought them they were only tiny. Then they grew.......and grew...and people no longer wanted them as pets. How long she had been living in the 'Boggy Area' is unknown - apparently they can hibernate in mud for long periods. She may have surfaced recently as the temperature has risen. Committee member Jack thought he caught a glimpse of her some weeks ago - and he was right!

Rare migrants and common vagrants

2008-06-29T14:34:00.016+01:00

Yesterday rare migrants, common vagrants, residents and fairly scarce summer visitors were spotted at the site. Unfortunately we also had some sightings of vermin. Olivia is going to dispose of an unpleasant looking purplefooted mouse

Ann tried to splat a common rat (rattus horribilis) whilst Steve supervised when to hit it.

A new colourful species of butterfly was sighted. It got attached to this little boy

A dragonfly was spotted which is endemic to the site
This young visitor thought she'd take a duck home

This little boy thought the duck was a fake

Jack caught this new species of duck (anas plasticus)

(and a very pleasant summer party was enjoyed by all)

Mostly Insects

2008-06-17T23:31:00.002+01:00

Here's an arty shot of a bumble bee on a flower in the butterfly garden.

A damselfly in the alligator's mouth.

OK, so this isn't an insect. It's the heron that's been a near permanent resident on the mere, taking off from the fallen tree.

A fly, on the bridge railing. Common, yes, but interesting in close-up all the same.

a moorhen count

2008-05-22T21:25:00.009+01:00

20.05.08
a clutch of moorhen chicks are being raised near the aquifer,
east of the main bridge across The Mere.
Safety seems assured by the nearby straw rolls
and the netting that holds them together.

However, the herons are after them.

I counted four chicks and witnessed two heron attacks.
All survived, but for how long I wonder?

on the prowl

look carefully and you may just count all four chicks

feeding time

anting

2008-05-17T21:40:00.009+01:00

11.05.08
a female blackbird "anting".
This behaviour is part of many a bird species cleaning regime.
An ants nest is upset, the ants attack the perpetrator
with formic acid, this kills mites etc.
A dust bath or wash then finishes the job.

14.05.08
a young heron, something of a regular in the last few weeks.
There is something primeval and fascinating about these birds . . .

Fauna

2008-05-05T18:26:00.004+01:00

A heron goes in for the kill! There's been one on duty on the mere for a few days.

I imagine it's all the fish that attract the heron. The mere is teeming with them. Just stand on the bridge for a few seconds and you'll see plenty. They're hard to photograph though!

The butterfly meadow is coming along brilliantly with a variety of butterflies seen across the site. Here's a Speckled Wood.

2008-04-28T16:37:00.001+01:00

RESERVE MANAGER’S REPORT March – April 2008

Already, this year, there have been butterflies seen on the perennial Wallflower (Bowles Mauve) in the Butterfly Meadow. The bees seem to love it too.
Lots of small fish have just appeared in the Mere last week – especially noticeable near the main bridge.
The new bird feeding station has proved to be a success. There have been sightings of a female Brambling, Siskins, and two Reed buntings (a first for the Reserve) feeding at the station.
The Water rail is still around. Also there is a pair of Kingfishers about at the moment which hopefully will breed on the Reserve.
Notable flora in bloom include Primrose, Green Alkanet, Ramsons, Violets, Marsh Marigold, Cowslips, Fritillary, Perennial Wallflower and the first Bluebells. The native Daffodils and Snowdrops have finished and Cow Parsley is taking over instead.

Howard

Ducklings

2008-04-23T20:21:00.010+01:00

Saw these eight ducklings (funny triangular forms in photo on right) at the weekend near the willow tree in the pond. Today I could only see one chick but maybe it was another batch. But then where are the other ducklings?

And where, BTW, are the kingfishers? I haven't seen them for 2 weeks, whereas for the last few months I'd see them every time I visited the site. Has anyone seen them recently?

posts

2008-04-09T20:57:00.009+01:00

08.04.08

it's interesting to see the alternative uses made of the information signs by animals on the site.
Some wild, some less so.

A resident wren often perches on one post in particular,
by the main bridge, meanwhile, two more residents use them as lookout points.

a jay, busy gathering nest material.

Pippin, just one of four cats spotted this day.

an elusive, but noisy chiffchaff on the railway emankment.
No post needed, just leafy cover.

the obliging heron

2008-04-07T22:40:00.010+01:00

07.04.08

on the reserve today, poking about on the margins of the main lagoon, occasionally taking flight to go to the opposite bank.

Slowly he got nearer and nearer, with me crossing the bridge to perhaps sneak a closer shot.

don't annoy the siskin

2008-04-02T21:00:00.007+01:00

a dull, wet day -however, the reserve is busy

the cute siskin are quite happy, until another species drops in for a snack that is.
They then turn in quite a performance, flapping and squawking to deter unwanted visitors.

jays, while big, noisy and colourful, are actually very shy.
This one was caught in the millisecond he realised I was watching him from the hide.

sightings, plus

2008-04-01T22:44:00.007+01:00

Sunday 30.03.08

a fox near the river.
a male blackcap near the bog area.
the reed buntings.
an industrious working party.
coffee and cake.

plus

the "resident" sparrowhawk patrols the skies over the reserve.
-always inducing panic alarm calls around the site when it's abroad.

a perky robin

an even perkier wren

butterflies are go

2008-04-01T22:27:00.011+01:00

Sunday 30.03.08
the newly planted butterfly meadow area next to the hide,
has proved itself a success, so early in the year too.

comma perched on "honesty"

comma perched on a perenniel wallflower

peacock sunbathing on a stone

fritillaries appear again.
how long will they last this year??

A bird in the hand is worth ....

2008-04-01T22:12:00.008+01:00

Last Saturday I was watching the kingfisher from the bridge with Sheila and Howard. I thought I would get a bit closer and use my new 20 x binoculars. So I stood by the bench and got a good view. Then I thought I was seeing things but to my amazement, there was another kingfisher virtually hidden behind the male, sitting quietly on the branch but further into the bush. The male did usual things like catching a fish and bashing its head on the branch, while the female stayed put quietly, not doing anything much. Sheila and Howard also came and saw the female - it was magic!

correction, two new faces

2008-03-25T22:37:00.013Z

25.03.08

following on from the other day,
I can report two reed buntings on the site.

Fantastic!

I assume it's a breeding pair, but must admit that the variety of plumages leaves me a bit unsure.
Let's assume a pair, it's Springtime after all!

here is a group of images which I just had to show,
as this is a first -let's enjoy it!

here in numbers at the moment, siskin.
Like redwing, from Scandinavia, though the siskin seem to be present all year round,
but in reduced numbers.

just one of a 20 strong redwing flock in and around the reserve over the past few weeks.
Quite nervous birds to approach, hence the distant shot.

wrens show best at this time of year.

a new face

2008-03-23T20:48:00.004Z

23.03.08
a reed bunting, seen here on a cold, grey day, the snow having cleared a little earlier.
Just imagine what a little sunshine could have done for this image.

Aren't I 'wild' enough?

2008-02-20T19:52:00.000Z

Reserve Manager's report

2008-02-18T15:23:00.004Z

Walking around the Reserve today in the glorious February sunshine, I counted 23 species of bird. I won't name them all, but the more interesting sightings were as follows.

Water Rail feeding at the water's edge
Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail - on main bridge
Heron
Pair of Coots in 'courting' mode
Small flock of Siskins in the Alder trees in the 'Sanctuary'
Jay
Long-tailed tits on birdfeeder

Woodpeckers were heard but not seen.

Several small fish were seen in the main lake.

On the flora side:
Snowdrops, Sweet Violets, Marsh Marigolds and Daffodils are in bloom
Hazel and Alder trees have catkins

January

2008-01-27T19:12:00.001Z

Sunday January 27th

Snowdrops have appeared along the riverbank. Maybe early, but about the same time as last year.

After due consideration of the Health and Safety policy and a detailed risk assessment, intrepid volunteers scale the site uplands looking for early flowering alpines.

.......and back at base camp by the lake, the traditional launching of straw into the water.

There is a perfectly good reason for this activity. If you want to know more, contact us via the website!

You Little Egret

2008-01-14T22:11:00.002Z

As people left the Wassail on Sunday, there was a somewhat uncommon visitor in the mere - a Little Egret. It's fundamentally a small white heron in appearance and reasonably rare in the UK though becoming more popular year on year. You can find out more from the RSPB. A kingfisher also put on a good display, fishing happily at the top end of the mere (beneath the houses) whilst people watched from the bridge.

kingfisher parade

2008-01-06T21:18:00.001Z

a selection of kingfisher shots from 27.12.07
in each case it is the same male bird

the little grebe, finally

2007-12-31T21:17:00.001Z

a good view at last
(taken 27.12.07)

Birds, big and small

2007-12-20T22:27:00.001Z

A robin pretending to be a hummingbird. It was doing this an awful lot, just hovering in one spot for a few seconds at a time.

And again.

This heron flew right over me on the main bridge, making a hideous squawking!